A Walk in the Woods
by Cyanide 6
Summary: Just a little AelitaxWilliam oneshot fluff.  Aelita is rethinking her take on realationships, and William is reconsidering things since Yumi starting dating Ulrich.  Please, no flames.  Please review.  AxW


**Takes place after New Order (the episode). I'm doing this to prove I can (somewhat decently) make any non-canon, Lyoko Warrior related shipping work. Please, no flames.**

Aelita walked back from the Hermitage, thinking.

Right after their little near death experience in the sauna, Ulrich confessed his feelings to Yumi. He said that he didn't want to die before he told her how he really felt. From what Aelita heard, the whole thing had been pretty awkward, at first. But, things seemed to have cleared up over break, since they were now dating. Leaving many fanboys and fangirls put out.

Aelita, on the other hand, felt like her relationship with Jeremie was slipping, losing its hold.

"Oof!" She heard. She looked up to find William.

She blinked. "Oh, sorry. Did I just run into you?"

He smiled. "You did."

She blushed. "Sorry, I've been thinking a lot. About Yumi and Ulrich and-" she stopped, stepping on her own foot. 'Idiot,' she thought. She looked up. "Sorry, I know you liked her, I'm sorry." Aelita blushed again.

"Are you always so apologetic?"

She looked down. "Sorry," she murmured.

"Don't be, she wasn't really my type anyway. A little too…" he paused.

"Reserved?" Aelita offered.

He snapped. "That's it. Too stoic, too quiet, too unresponsive and cold."

They began walking again, away from the school, down one of the paths.

"I sort of know what you're talking about," she said. "When the person you like just doesn't seem to… react the way you'd wish, it feels…"

"One-sided?"

She smiled. "I know, maybe I'm being ridiculous. I mean, I'm only thirteen, it's not like I should be expecting him to-"

"We're talking about Belpois, right?"

"It's not that he's doesn't pay attention to me… well, he doesn't, but I know he's doing all this work for me, but-but…"

"But?"

"But does he really think I'm going to put my life on hold waiting for him to finish?" It all came out in a rush. "I know, it's terrible. But, he's trying to save the world all the time. Even when there's a lull in his work I feel he'd rather continue pulling at random leads and-and… Oh I don't know, it's just so confusing." Aelita felt her eyes well up with tears.

William gave her a smile. "I'm not going to pretend I know what that saving the world thing was about, but, you know, your feelings matter too."

"Thanks William, but you could never know what I've been through."

"Try me," he said, grinning. "I've been through a lot."

They spent the rest of their walk like that. Aelita never came out and told him about X.A.N.A, but she gave him a sorta analogy of her problem. Even when she thought she was feeling pretty low, William was able to make her smile, even laugh, with his crazy, and slightly crass, stories. It was completely different from what she always experienced with Jeremie. When talking to him, any subject but one about computers made him uncomfortable. And when he was uncomfortable, the conversation stopped. With William, she took a whole new prospective of the world, one in which she could do anything. And not like flying or time travel. Oddly enough, those had always been possibilities. But now that she was out of the supercomputer, for good, she could live a little. And William helped her do that more than even Odd could.

"You did not!" She gasped, after a particularly strange story that involved William and a friend stuck in full on Santa outfits, locked in a teacher's car.

"We did. And you can imagine what Ms. Lester thought when she saw us."

The two burst into laughter.

When they quieted, she looked into William's dark, dark, brown eyes. He looked at her.

"I don't mean to sound harsh about it, but you deserve better than Jeremie."

She caught her breath, both at the words, and at the soft sincerity they were spoken in.

"I-I-"

"It's up to you."

She blinked, looking down for a moment, before looking back up. "I know."

Before she knew it, she had been pressed into a strong kiss by William. When she emerged she had only one word for him.

"Why?"

He looked down. "I'm sorry, I just-sorry, that probably was to impulsive. Ack, I'm bad with this, sorry. I-just-"

Aelita put a finger up to his lips. "No, I meant why would you like me? I never thought I would be your type."

He looked into her incredibly bright green eyes. "I don't thing I ever knew my type before. I always thought I wanted someone… edgy. I never thought I could fall for someone so… pure." He blushed. "Sorry."

"Are you always so apologetic?"

He laughed, and she reached out and grabbed his hand.

"I never thought I could fall for someone like you. But, I think we can make it work."

They set off down the path, hand in hand, together.

**Well, that was hard. Probably should've started off with something easier…**


End file.
